3-2 EMWD vote rejects deferral of rate increase

A 3-2 Eastern Municipal Water District board vote Wednesday, Jan. 20, rejected a motion to defer an increase in water and sewer rates for six months. Jeff Armstrong and Stephen Corona voted to defer the increase until June 30. Phil Paule, Randy Record and David Slawson voted against the deferral. “We had a great discussion on it,” Paule said. When the EMWD board adopted the district’s biennial budget for fiscal years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, the budget called for 3% annual water rate increases effective each January, a 90 cent per month increase in fixed charges and 3.8% annual sewer rate increases effective each January. The Dec. 16 EMWD board meeting approved calendar year 2021 rates and charges. In November 1996, the state’s voters passed Proposition 218, which requires